Weather and lenses?

Hi there,

First post here, but I've learned a lot from this forum already. I found this forum because it was the first one to pop up when googling "Lens Buying Addiction."

This past summer was pretty wet and unpredictable, at least in Canada, where I summer (okay, so I've lived in Canada all my life, but wasn't sure if you wanted another Canadian ). Getting caught in the rain was about as common for me as leaving the house.

I have the K10D, so I am more concerned about lenses. Can you just wipe them off, or should they be shielded from any moisture at all times? I'm not talking about teeming rain, but even a light sprinkle around an expensive metal lens gets me a little nervous. Having both metal (Pentax) and plastic/rubberized lenses (Pentax and Sigma), which is better to take outside? I'm not looking to invest in DA* lenses, so just want to know what precautions I should take.

Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for any input,
Dan

We have Canadians on here we take anyone that has a Pentax, Welcome onboard..

I'd be interested in replies to this question. My attitude is that I don't like rain anyway, if I and the camera were in the rain then I'd probably wrap something round it and wipe off any rain that got onto anything as soon as I could.

I'm much more bothered about sea spray than rain.

Mike

I'm worried about sea spray too, and more worried about moisture penetration to electronic camera bodies. In many, many years of working professionally in another rainy country, I've never seen any lens damaged by rain - that isn't to say that I dont try to protect them from it, of course.

See, that's also why I posted on a UK web site--superior rain knowledge! Sea spray would probably be even worse, because of the salt.

And thanks for the welcome ttk!

I've used my K10D + DA18-55 in (very!) heavy rain with no ill-effects. I wrapped a plastic bag around the lens barrel and secured it with elastic bands to stop water getting in at the lens mount (the part that worried me most).

If I had been in a salt water environment I would probably have added a UV filter to the front, but as it was I just kept the lens pointing down while not in use and wiped it dry now and again.

I was trying to take photos of lightning but I failed miserably - happily this wasn't down to equipment failure though...

Best way to capture lightning is to use a very large metal tripod!

I once tried to take picture of lightning with some success, or so I thought. Pointed camera at the sky - f11 maybe - and shutter open on B. After the flash I closed the shutter. Everyone I showed the one successful picture to thought it had been faked

And hold a large golf umbrella high above your head.

Dan

Its all Georges fault

Welcome to the forum Dan

I have used unsealed lenses on the K10D in the rain with no adverse effects to either, I did keep an eye on how wet the lens was getting and paid particular attentions to wiping it dry occasionally, especially around the lens mount, but to be honest the lenses I used were to a point expendable, ie not worth a great deal.
If in doubt I would go with Heftys suggestion.

Hey, thanks for the tips--a healthy mix of helpful and suicidal.
I figured a home-made solution was probably the way most people go. I wasn't even thinking of the lens mount area, but more the rest of the lens, so useful info indeed--thanks hefty!

This is a very important point! I have several nice lenses that together have cost me a considerable chunk of money - when photographing in the rain (or any other potentially damaging situation) it's my DA18-55 that always finds itself in the firing range. I think of it as my £30 "action lens"

I did notice you specified the kit lens in your post--think I'll do any further testing with that one too

The weather sealed lenses have a neoprene seal around the lens mount which seals against the face of the body mount. This solution is pretty effective at keeping water, dust, etc. out of the body.

A serious suggestion to Pentax: Why not put that seal on the body? Then our old lenses would be weather sealed at that point too. At least the body would remain protected even if the lens was not fully protected. Just a thought.